“The Next Step - Wolves Rugby Football Club Growth and Member Acquisition” is the name of the UM Wolves RFC project that has successfully qualified for funding under the Small Initiatives Scheme (SIS) managed by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector.

“Next Step” is a pilot project aimed at increasing the knowledge in creating meaningful and sustainable collaboration and networking with other NGOs to ensure inclusivity through sport.

The project has 3 main deliverables:

1. The development of a strategic plan document to help the club become more inclusive and open for all.

2. Help the newly setup mixed abilities team in conjunction with the Brain Foundation to have a professional image via the design of branding and communication

3. Obtain external consultancy to help the club in the following areas: procedural efficiency, GDPR compliance, and the creation of training manuals for such specific collaboration.                                               

“As a club we strongly believe that this project is fundamental to the growth of this organisation. From its very humble beginnings, it has managed itself outstandingly and exceeded expectations. We are now faced with the necessity to professionalise our modus operandi, which requires expert consultation and guidance. This project will help Wolves Rugby Football Club to not only grow but grow sustainably into a more socially inclusive organisation that positively impacts society with its work,” club President Albert Galea said in a statement.

UM Wolves RFC is a University rugby club, established in October 2017 with the aim of bringing the sport of rugby union back to the University of Malta, and of fostering a sporting culture on campus. Recognised by the University of Malta’s Senate, the club fields both a men’s team and a women’s team – making it the only student organisation to have a women’s team representing the University in any sport. The club continually accepts interested persons – both male and female – who would like to join and try the sport.

The club is further strengthening this inclusivity through a collaboration agreement with The Brain Foundation, another NGO working with people with Mixed Abilities. This will allow us to create a mixed abilities squad, in order to increase social inclusion through the medium of sport.

This project has been funded by the Small Initiatives Support Scheme (SIS), managed by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector (MCVS). This project/publication reflects the views only of the author, and the MCVS cannot be held responsible for the content or any use which may be made of the information contained therein.